Atdhe Nuhiu – fan divider

If you’re involved with the Championship, chances are you will have heard of Atdhe Nuhiu – the man who is dividing Sheffield Wednesday fans.

It’s been over two years since the 6ft 6in Austrian signed for the Owls on a free transfer, and he exploded onto the scene with a debut goal on the opening day of the 2013-14 season away at QPR. This got Wednesday fans licking their lips at the thought of his goal-scoring for their club… but the flow of goals didn’t come.

In his 95 appearances for the club he has hit the back of the net 20 times – it’s not great reading for fans who want a ’20 goal a season man’ in the starting line-up. He receives constant criticism for his finishing and in respect to his height, his heading.

He is a player stuck in the wrong body – there has been a number of times where the big man has been very unimpressive in his centre-forward play but has looked quality when coming deep and playing with the ball at his feet. He is surprisingly good with the ball at his feet and has demonstrated skill you’d expect from a small tricky winger (see below from 1 minute 50 seconds).

Nuhiu has definitely provided the Owls fans with some memorable moments away from home. He scored the second late equaliser in the thrilling 3-2 win against Rotherham United. He even decided the fate of the Championship title last season with a stoppage time equaliser away at Watford. And who could forget the goal he scored at the Etihad Stadium to give Wednesday a shock lead against Manchester City?

But the player still divides opinion among fans. Some are of the opinion that he is simply not good enough to play for Sheffield Wednesday with the new investment. Some still love Nuhiu – and has become a cult hero with a section of the fans.

One thing isn’t in doubt – his effort and commitment to the cause. He has been asked on many occasions to do a very selfless job for the team, and does it well. He runs for days (admittedly, not at any great pace) and often improves the team by playing a certain role – especially away from home.

Between scoring big goals, missing easy chances, swearing on live evening radio in regards to his attitude – he divides the Hillsborough crowd. Here is just two examples of this:

Nuhiu has appeared in four league games so far this season but is yet to score, although he did notch the only goal in the Capital One Cup against Oxford to set up an away tie at Newcastle United. His contract is set to expire at the end of the season – and it could prove to be his last at Hillsborough, unless Owls boss Carlos Carvalhal decides to offer him an extension.